Force-feeb attachment for alfalfa-grinbers anb the like



'F. W. JOHNSN. FORCE FEED ATTACHMENT FOR ALFALFA MINDERS AND THE LME.

pgpe APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 19H PaentedJunQ 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. F. w. JOHNSQN. FORCE FEED ATTCHMENT FOR ALI-'ALFA GRINDERS AND THELIKE.

SGZD V APPLIATIDH FILED HAY 31| i911- Patented June 3 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

To all whom t may concern:

' Tn strnrns i PATENT OFFICE. y j

'ronnns'r W; JOHNSON, or yn.Alatri/IAN, COLORADO, AssrGNon orONE-HALF'TO FLOYD in.

WILSON, or HARTMAN, COLORADO. l-

FORCE-FEED ATTACHMENTHFOR ALFLFA-GRINDERS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led May 31, 1917. Serial No. 172,064.

Be it known that I, FoRRnsT l/V. JOHNSON,` a citizen of theUnitedStates, and resident of Hartman, Colorado, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Force- Feed Attachments forAlfalfa-Grinders and theflike, of which the following is a speciication.l

-The inventionconsists in the features and combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in ltheclaims. V

In the accompanying dra-wings, Y

Figure 1 is a side elevationV of an; apparatus embodying theinvention,land V. Fig. 2 is a plan view of parts shown in FigLl.

Inf` hese drawings the grinder casing is shown at 1 within which thereis a screen 2, and `arms3 are mounted upon disks carried by a shaft 4,to act upon material fed thereto within the screen and under a baiiieplate 5. At the front Of the grinder casing 1 the force feed apparatusis located, this consisting of a pair of rolls 6 and 7 the roll 6 beingmounted on a shaft 9V carried by arms 8. The shaft extends throughguideways 10 formed in standards 11 carried by the main frames 12 of theforce feed apparatus, which, as above stated, is located at the open endVof the grinder casing. The

guideways 10 are struck on a curve from the center A, at which centerthere are bearings to which are pivotally connected the extensions 8',of the arms 8. The shaft 9 is thus guided in its up and down movement.The side bars 8, 8 have bearings for a shaft 35 on which is fixedsprocket wheel 13 over which a sprocket chain 14 passes, said chainpassing around a sprocket wheel 15 on the shaft of the roll 6 and arounda s rocket wheel 16 coaXially mounted with t e pivoted end of the arm orbar 8, 8', there is a second sprocket wheel 17 coaxially mounted at thepivoted end ofthe bar 8, 8

and this is driven through a chain 18 from ing roll or drum27 bearinginthe frame at 28. This belt moves with its upper stretch aboveasuitable floor 29'andthe material to be ground or operated upon is fedonto this belt and is carried thereby between the upper and lowerrollsrG and 7 into the casing of the grinder. The upper roll can riseand fall lto accommodate the passage of the material between the rollsand in this upward anddownward movement its bearings Yare guided in theguideways 10.V In order tov equalize the action of the roll 6 in risingand falling I provide equali/.ing arms 29 pivotally connectedwith thebars or arms 8, 8, the said equalizing arms being connected throughlevers, one of which is shown at 30to an equalizing shaft 31 mountedinbearings 32 on the main frame, so=that if the roll 6 lifts at oneendthis motion will be communicated through the arm 29"'and lever 30 tothe shaft 31, which through similar connections at its opposite end willlift the opposite bar or rod 8, 8 at the other end of the upper roll 6.These rolls 6 and 25 operate at the same surface speed to feed thematerial into the grinder casing.

The force feed mechanism is self-contained, being mounted upon oneframeand is adapted to be positioned in relation to known forms ofgrinder apparatus.

The power is applied to a pulley 33 on the shaft 21 on which thesprocket 19 is mounted and this power is transmitted to the gearingthrough the lower roll and through the sprocket chain 18 to the shaft Aon which the bars or arms 8, 8 are pivotally mounted and thence to theupper roll by the sprocket chain 14 and sprocket wheels 13 and 15.

On the same shaft 35 with the sprocket wheel 13 a roll 34 is mounted,which runs at nearly the same peripheral speed as the upper roll 6. Thisroll 6 runs at one revolution per minute faster than roll 34. The roll34 gives the first compression effect on the material and the fasterrevolution of the roll G just mentioned in respect to the roll 34 keepsthe hay or other material from going up between the two rolls 6 and 34.Both of these rolls have channel-iron members or bars riveted thereto,which bars catch or take hold of the material being fed and thusavoiding liability of the rolls slipping on the material. The speed ofthe feed belt 26 is the same as the peripheral speed of the PatentedJune 3, 1919.

roll 34. The distance between the roll 34 and the feed belt 26 isgreater than the distance between the tee-d belt and the roll 6 and thismay vary. In the example shown the roll 34 is about live inches fartheraway from the belt than the roll 6. This relative rotation of theserolls in respect to the belt 6 is for the purpose ot giving the roll 34a better Chance to take hold et' loose hay or other bulky leed and startthe compression thereof, so that the material will be under compressionwhen roll 6 engages therewith. Roll 34 is .the same length as roll 6 butis about six inches larger in diameter. The upward 4and downwardadjust-ment of the roll 6 is guided by the guideways l0. This roll 6 ismounted in blocks or bearings adapted to slide in these eurred guidewaysand each ot these bearing blocks connected with a threaded rod 10X ofcurved form, which passes through the upper stay plate l0. A nut lO o nthe screw rod rests upon this plate to hold the roll in any position towhich it may be adjusted. This nutwith its screw-threaded rod is used toregulate the height of the roll 6 and its distance from the roll '7. Theweight oit the roll is borne by the nut.

No spring is used in anyv portion of the force feeder as all pressure isderived from the weight otl the rolls.

lhat I elaim'isrl. In combinationY in a force `feed apparatus forgrinders, an upper and a lower roll, with means for feeding the materialthereto, arms one on each side of the machinesupporting the .upper roll,said arms being pivotally mounted, an equalizer shaft eX- tending acrossthe machine and a connection between each end oi said shattandthepivotally -niounted supporting arms tor 4the upper roll, substantiallyas described.

2. In combination in .a torce. lfeed apparatus for grinders, an upperand a. llower roll, with means for feeding the. material thereto, armssupporting the upper roll and pivotally mounted, anl equalizer shaft andconnections between the ends of said .shaft and the pivotally mountedsupporting arms for Vthe upper roll, said connections including leverson the equalizer .shaft and lin-ks conr. ing said levers with thepivotally mounted roll supporting arms, substantially described. Y Y 1ntestimony whereof I atix my signature.

FORRECT W. JOHNSON.

G opes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingtheVCommssioner o f Patents,

i Washington, D. G.

